


Crossroads

by unscrypted



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Angst, Bottom Gon Freecs, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Angst, How Do I Tag, Kurapika answers his phone, M/M, Multi, Nice Hisoka, Not Beta Read, Post 13th Chairman Election Arc, Top Hisoka (Hunter X Hunter), Unreliable Narrator, cant write creepy hisoka to save my life, ging is an awful dad, ging top, gon is innocent angel, i am addicted to hisoka, i don't know how i got here, i think hisoka/gon is pedo but here i am, im sorry killugon shippers, kite bottom, making up crazy slots weapons, non-canon, poor baby killua gets his heart broken, unreliable upload schedule
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:34:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27753916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unscrypted/pseuds/unscrypted
Summary: Hisoka was in the election hall when Gon burst through the doors. Kanzai picks fights with murderers and Kite makes sure Gon gets to meet his dad. Killua and Hisoka compete for Gon's affections... who will win?
Relationships: Ging Freecs/Kaito | Kite, Gon Freecs/Hisoka, Kurapika/Leorio Paladiknight
Comments: 12
Kudos: 60





	1. Chapter 1: The Election Part 1

AN: Most of this chapter is straight from Chapter 334 of the manga. All characters belong to Yoshihiro Togashi. It becomes very clear where the chapter derives from the canon chapter. Kite is “older” and has regained his memories at this point. I will be using he/him pronouns for Kite because I believe he identifies as male regardless of the fact that he is in a female body. Double quotes indicate dialogue while single quotes indicate thoughts, although the two may overlap depending on context because English sucks.

* * *

“Now then, candidate Leorio!! Please tell us once more!! If you become chairman, what will you do?” asks announcer Rabbit. 

“Save Gon!!” Leorio responds, “I’ll make every hunter work their hardest to save him!! That’s all!!” Parison thinks ‘This would be perfect timing, but… I’m not exactly “God” so…’ 

“So then you have no thoughts on future personnel matters or organization restructuring?” Pariston asks Leorio.

“Huh??” Leorio says, caught off guard. “Of course not!! I don’t even know why I’m standing here right now, honestly!” 

“Hahahaha. Of course you don’t. That’s my only question.” ‘It’s useless, Pariston. Everyone already knows that, and they still voted for Leorio!! They intend to completely support him, and that’s why they clapped…!!’ Cheadle thinks. 

“Do you have any questions for me, candidate Leorio?” 

“No, come on!! Let’s just finish this already!!”

“Alright then!! Now then, I would like to make an urgent motion!!” 

“Huh? Umm, what are you talking about? An emergency motion!!” Bunny exclaims. 

“I would like everyone to now choose your votes according to the 8th and 9th hunter commandments!! The theme here is… rethinking the 10th commandment and the hunter exam!!” Pariston continues, “I would first like to request the abolition of the current Hunter exam regulations!! All those who agree with this abolition, draw a circle!! All those who are against, draw an x!!” Kanzai stands angrily and yells

“HOLD ON A MINUUUUUUTE!!! We zodiacs already decided in a meeting that the Hunter commandments are absolute!! You should be bringing this up right now!! Saacho thinks ‘No.’ the same moment Cheadle thinks ‘You’re wrong. Stupid tiger.’ 

“You’re exactly right!!” Pariston happily agrees, “In the meeting, it was 11 to 1!! I was the only one who agreed we should change the commandments, correct? If Cheadle and Mizaistom were still on stage right now, I’d be upholding the rule we agreed on in the meeting! In fact, I intended to stay quiet about it until the election was over!! However, both of them have lost!! And Chairman Leorio has no idea about what went on in that meeting!! And so, this is the only situation in which I can independently bring up this opinion of mine once more-- not as a zodiac, but as the vice-chairman!! Do you understand now, Kanzai?! “Now” is the perfect timing for me!” Kanzai realizes that Pariston is right, and hates that he can’t do anything about it. “Of course, if the 8th commandment was to be utilized to its full potential, it could be possible for me to ignore what went on in the meeting and force this movement instead!! However!! I didn’t want to do that!! Because the zodiacs were an important group to the ex-chairman…” Bunny interrupts, saying

“Heeeey! You mess with this guy, and he’ll pay you back tenfold!” Pariston continues, 

“Honestly, I would like to finish this as efficiently as possible without any trouble!! However...What the late Terrain and Bushidora insist is entirely true!! I have no choice but to say that commandments 3 and 4 have severely harmful effects on the exam!!” Cheadle recalls what Ging told her, that ‘He isn’t thinking about winning, or about losing. You’re right, she thinks, what an asshole. It’s because he doesn’t have to worry about victory, that he can stay so cool and neutral without worrying about his profit or losses...He controls others’ emotions, abuses the rules, and chooses to do the things we hate the most!!’ She frantically thinks of a counter-proposal. She interrupts Pariston’s rant, 

“Got a minute? Rabbit. If candidate Leorio wins the election, I will act as his advisor!! And in that event, I promise to drastically improve the Hunter exam!! If any of you are enthusiastic about candidate Leorio, but somewhat worried about his business abilities, I promise to support him in this regard, even if it means leaving the Zodiacs!!!” 

“Hey, hey, hey! I don’t care about all this motion shit or whatever!! I just want to save Gon as fast as possible! Alright?” Leorio says. However, he is interrupted by the doors of the election hall opening. 

“LEORIO!!” a voice yells, as Morel stands in the doorway with tears streaming down his face, holding a thumbs up. Cheadle looks toward the door shocked, and Pariston looks smug at his correct prediction. Leorio realizes what is happening, as Gon appears in the doorway, with Knuckle, Morel, Bisky, Palm, Hanzo, Knov, Melody, and Goreinu. 

“GON!!!!” Leorio yells, “GON!! YOU HAD ME WORRIED SICK, GODDAMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!” he says, as he leaps to meet Gon midair in a crushing hug. In his seat, Ging sighs internally and wishes he were anywhere but here, while Pariston simply watched on as his predictions came true. “IM SO GLAD! I’M SO GLAD YOU’RE ALRIGHT!!”

“Buohhh! Did I really look that bad?”

“YOU WERE IN A CATEGORY BEYOND BAD!” 

“Leorio!! Stop!! He’s fine, so just get over it!!” Morel chastises.

“Yeah, You’re right!! Yeah!!” Leorio responds as Pariston begins applause. 

“Ahh, ahh, Thank you.” Gon responds sheepishly. ‘We’re finished.’ Cheadle realizes. ‘Pariston wanted to save Leorio for last…!! With this...Leorio’s lost both his motive and his support for becoming chairman…!!’ 

“Leorio...Do not tell Gon that Killua was the one who healed him, no matter what….!!” Morel demands quietly. 

“Huh?! Why?!” The audience cheers for Gon’s recovery, some yelling out suggestions “You should be the next chairman!” and “Who’s the bald guy next to you?!” 

“I MEAN IT!!” Morel insists, “Promise me this! For Killua!!”

“A...Alright. I promise.” 

From the back of the room where Gon entered, a tall figure steps out of the shadows. 

“Where’s my hug, Gon-kun? ❤” 

“Ahh? HISOKA?!” Gon yells, “What are you doing here?!” Leorio turns to face Hisoka, just as surprised as Gon is.

“Ehhh? Why are you here? How did you even get here?” 

“Me? I walked in through the door,” he says, indicating the wide-open doors of the election hall. “I wanted to check up on my little fruit. ❤” Hanzo and the others look at Hisoka dubiously but can feel Hisoka’s sinister aura and (wisely) remain quiet. Bisky's eye twitches as she remembers her first interaction with him on Greed Island, walking in on him bathing in the river. Leorio, Hanzo, and Bisky are not the only ones to recognize Hisoka though.

“YOU! WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE WITH HIM!!” Kanzai yells, “YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A MURDERING PILE OF SHITE!” Hisoka looks at him, eyebrows raising. Hisoka quickly dashes and grips Gon by the throat, hoisting him up. 

“What are you gonna do about it? ♦” Hisoka smirks, challenging Kanzai. ‘85. This would be a boring fight to take on’. Steam flows from Kanzai’s ears as he realizes he cannot challenge Hisoka without harming Gon. The audience is restless and ready to attack Hisoka, but are acutely aware of how dangerous he is. Kanzai moves into an attacking stance but pauses when Gon opens his mouth.

“Hisoka? What are you doing?” The audience is taken aback at how relaxed Gon is in Hisoka’s death grip. But Hisoka has noticed that Gon’s reflexes are slower and wonders why Gon didn’t try to dodge his attack. Then the reason for Gon’s nonexistent defense hits him.

“Gon-kun, where is your nen? ♠” Stunned, Gon tries to muster his aura, before realizing he can’t. Hisoka releases him and brings his hand to his chin. “Hmm. A nen-less Gon-kun. No this won’t do.” he thinks out loud. 

“I-I can’t feel my aura anymore.” Gon realizes, downcast. He also notices Kilua is nowhere to be seen. ‘Did he leave me after I was in the hospital? Is he mad because I refused his help with Pitou? Or is it because I said..’

“WHY AREN’T YOU ATTACKING HIM?” Kanzai rants, interrupting Gon’s train of thought. 

“Hisoka? Why would I attack him?” 

“Because he’s a murderer? And he just tried to kill you not a minute ago!” 

“Kill me? No Hisoka wasn’t trying to kill me! Besides, he wants to fight me when I’m strong, so he wouldn’t kill me now! Right, Hisoka?” 

“Mm. That is correct. ♣” Hisoka responds, acting disinterested in the conversation. “But it would be a real waste if you were unable to regain nen. ♠” He thinks out loud. 

At the front of the room, Ging is very concerned about Gon noticing him and especially that creepy clown with him. Ging was an experienced hunter, but that aura is another level of sinister. He gets up to leave through a side door while everyone is distracted, but List and Dwun grab ahold of his arms before he can take a step. 

“Don’t you DARE, Ging.” List threatens. “That boy sacrificed everything in Greed Island to find you. Elena told us what you ordered her to do with the accompany card. Sit down.” Of course, Ging wasn’t going to let his friends stop him. He pushes past them until he is interrupted by a very strong force grasping his shoulders and forcing him in his seat. He looks up to see a woman with long red locks and purple eyes.

“Ah,, Kite.” He brings his hand to the back of his head sheepishly. “I wasn’t going to leave or anything…” But Kite knows him better than that, and is very unamused by his master’s actions. 

“Ging you asshole. Gon has worked his butt off for you to continue evading him. He doesn’t even know how close he is to you right now. If you leave when Gon is this close I will personally rip your limbs off. _SIT DOWN_.” Ging immediately stops struggling at the last line. Everyone within hearing distance of Kite also sits down. They aren’t sure why either, but it compelled him to do whatever was asked of him as fast as possible. Kite seemed surprised at this too, not realizing it was a skill he had. He blinked, before realizing it must have something to do with being Mureum’s twin, being chimera ant royalty. “Oops,” he says, looking at everyone in the front who sat. 

The sudden movement caught the attention of the people arguing though. ‘100!!!’ Hisoka thinks, shocked. ‘What...What is that girl? The aura is even stronger than Illumi’s, mine, and Chrollo’s combined! Oh, what a fight that could be…’ List and Dwun turn to face Gon and point at a man between them. Gon realizes that the man is Ging. 

“....Ging?” Gon asks softly, eyes wide open and mouth falling open to form a soft ‘o’. ‘Ohhhh man. This is bad…!! Though I thought it’d probably happen… The one meeting everyone’s been waiting for!!” Ging thinks. 

* * *

AN: I cut out the entire conversation between Cheadle and Pariston, mostly because it was really long and irrelevant to the plot. I wasn’t sure how much context to leave in so I started at the beginning of the manga chapter. I never realized how much dialogue was in this arc lol.


	2. Chaper 2: The Election Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 13th Chairman is elected, Hisoka is a confused boio, and Gon and Kite have a nice discussion about Hisoka. Also Ging is a shitty dad as per usual.

AN: I can’t believe you guys actually clicked on this story. It’s my first time writing fanfiction with actual substance and your guys’ nice comments and kudos really mean a lot to me. Also, in this fic Kite is older and has regained his memories by now, so he is fully aware of what happened in NGL and his past. The lil bit about the actual election is from chapter 335 of the manga. 

* * *

“....Ging?” Gon asks softly, eyes wide open and mouth falling open to form a soft ‘o’. There he was, dressed exactly the same as in the pictures at home. Then Gon remembers that Killua is not here to share this moment with him. He turns to Morel and asks “Where’s Killua?” Gon pauses to think for a second, “And who healed me?” Morel looks at Leorio and hesitates before responding.

“I don’t know where Killua is. It’s not up to me to tell you how you were healed. You will see Killua soon though, I promise.” Morel hates having to lie to the boy who he fought battles to the death with, but he didn’t really know what Killua did either. 

“Oh…” Gon says, disappointed. ‘I’m sure Killua has a good reason for not being here though! I’m his best friend after all, right!’, he thinks. Before his mind can come up with a reason for Killua’s disappearance, Hisoka interrupts.

“Oh Gon-kun~, you don’t mean to tell me that you don’t know of the  _ adventures  _ Killua went on without you? ♠” 

“Adventures?” 

“Oh yes, Killua had a rather  _ exciting _ journey involving kidnapping his sister Alluka while being chased down by Illumi. Alluka and Nanika healed you, by the way.” Before Gon can ask Hisoka for more details, Morel cuts in, asking Hisoka

“How do you know all of this?” 

“Oh, I was helping dear Illumi of course.” Gon and Morel both narrow their eyes at Hisoka, but for different reasons. Morel assumes that Hisoka had been trying to kill Killua, but Gon knows Hisoka well enough by now to know that Hisoka wouldn’t let him die. 

“By any chance does your definition of ‘helping’ involve backstabbing your friend in order to ensure your favorite hunter survives?” Gon asks dryly.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. ♦” Hisoka hesitates for a split second before continuing “Would you mind if I joined you afterward? I’d like to study your little nen problem.” 

“Of course you can join me! We’re friends right?!” Hisoka’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, but before anyone can comment Gon pulls Ging’s Hunter license out of a pocket of his green jacket, and walks to Ging, handing him the card. 

“Kite gave this to me when Killua and I first met him in Kakin.” Just thinking of Kite made images of Kite’s marred corpse flash before his eyes, and made him think of how he hadn’t been strong enough to help Kite fight Pitou, and that Killua had to carry him out of NGL because they were so utterly helpless. Gon began to tear up and babbled out apologies to Ging. Ging honestly had no idea what the boy was saying, but he caught the words “Kite”, “Pitou”, and “It was my fault he died”. Ging immediately realized that Gon didn’t realize that Kite was standing not ten feet from him. Before he could tell Gon that Kite was right next to him, Morel interrupted Gon’s prattling by placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Gon. Listen to me. What happened in NGL was NOT your fault. No one predicted that the ants would be able to use nen. And we told you at the hotel, Kite’s still alive, remember?” Ging shifts uncomfortably. He knew exactly what happened to Kite, but didn’t really want to have to explain it to this kid in front of him. ‘Kite had been watching me ever since Gon had entered the hall, and it’s too late to make a run for it. Damn.’ 

“K-Kite… still alive,” Gon mumbles, his brain struggling to remember that conversation. Most of the time he spent in the hospital was fuzzy in his mind. 

“Of course Kite is still alive. No student of mine would ever die to some insect.” Ging retorts, then winces at how harshly it came out of his mouth. List and Kite both shoot Ging a deadly glare, which he refuses to cower to. The red-headed woman next to Ging steps forward and says 

“Yes Gon, I’m still alive.” Gon looks at him confused, causing Kite’s lips to quirk up in a sad smile. “It’s really me, Kite. Remember when I had to shoot an ant colony you were standing on when you first appeared in Kakin? And when we fought those ants in the D2 underground? I shot the ant you were fighting in the head after you cut it up with your jajanken attack.” Gon’s eyes grew big as Kite revealed information that no one else could possibly know. He ran toward him and grabbed him by the waist, blubbering apologies about being weak. Kite sighed and ran his fingers through Gon’s hair. 

“It’s not your fault. I promise. I severely underestimated the power of the ants, and by the time I had realized my mistake, Pitou was already on us. Not to mention none of us could have predicted that the ants would be able to use nen. I would have never brought you and Killua into NGL if I had known how dangerous it would be.” Kite thinks for a moment, before continuing, saying “I guess we both needed more training. At least I was right.” he finishes, remembering the gut feeling he had about pursuing the ants. Ging thinks ‘Thank God Kite’s here. I don’t have any clue how to deal with a kid, much less this one.’, sighing in relief. 

Seeing Gon hug the redhead made something in Hisoka twist. While a part of him desperately wanted to challenge this extremely powerful being, seeing Gon an absolute mess at the thought of this person being dead made something in him hesitate. ‘Wait. Why does Gon’s reaction matter? I never cared before. What about this feels… different? I never cared about people’s friends before...’ His hands continued shuffling the deck of cards in his hands, and his face remained passive, but thoughts were racing in his mind as he attempted to sort his feelings out. 

Despite the clear changes in Gon’s attitude, the crowd in the election hall continues to call out suggestions, one becoming very prominent. Pariston hears this and decides to use it to his advantage.

“Gon! Would you mind telling everyone who you want as the next chairman of the Hunter association?” Shocked, Gon turns to Pariston in confusion. What did a little boy know about politics? “Myself, Pariston Hill, or Leorio?” 

“Leorio? Why is Leorio nominated to become chairman?” 

“I’ve asked that myself you know,” Leorio shouted from the back of the hall. 

“Leorio wants to become a doctor. So I choose you to be the next chairman.” Gon says to Pariston. Pariston’s eyes gleamed, seeing the murderous expressions on the other zodiacs’ faces. 

“Everyone, I am your 13th chairman, Pariston!! I know this is sudden, but I have an important announcement!! I, Pariston, name Cheadle-san as my vice-chairman!! And I now resign from my position as chairman!!!” Stunned, the other eleven zodiacs stare at the stage in shock. 

As Kite and Ging exit the election hall, tailed by Gon and Hisoka, Kite promises to explain how he is still alive. Ging goes ahead to prepare the rest of Kite’s hunter team and their house for guests (and to avoid Gon), while Hisoka follows from a while behind, pretending to ignore the interactions between the others. Kite notices how far behind Hisoka is, and decides that now is the perfect time to ask Gon about him.

“So how’d you meet that guy who asked to study the loss of your nen?” 

“Mmh? Hisoka? Oh, I met him when I took the Hunter exam! He was really scary then…” 

“Oh! You never told me about your Hunter exam. You met Killua there too didn’t you?”

“Yea! And Kurapika and Leorio! I met Kurapika and Leorio on the boat ride to the Hunter Exam! It was a super stormy night and they were arguing over nonsense! I might have also jumped off the boat to catch one of the crewmates who’d fallen off…” Gon recalled sheepishly, “but Kurapika and Leorio caught me! And then we had to pass through a test with no right answer, and then we had to fight off some Kirikos! They were so cool, they could speak and change into humans!” 

“Kirikos? Too bad the Kirikos weren’t the exam navigators when I took the exam. I would have loved to meet Kirikos, especially ones that aren’t going to attack me for knowing they’re not human.” Kite mused, “We consider most Kirikos wild because they pose as humans and often kill people for food. Or out of self-defense when people find out that they’re not actually human.” 

“Hmm. When we finally got to the exam, there were so many people! I was the last, number 405. But we met Killua who was 99, and Tonpa who was 16! Hisoka was 44.. I’ll never forget Hisoka’s tag number after that exam… Anyways Tonpa gave us some juice, although I’m pretty sure it was laced with something because it tasted weird. We spat it out. Oh! Hisoka also cut off the arms of some guy… I think it was because he bumped into Hisoka without apologizing. But! Hisoka helped us get through the first stage. Kurapika told me that a bunch of people thought Hisoka was too dangerous to become a hunter and tried to gang up on him and kill him. Hisoka ended up killing them all though. He didn’t hurt Leorio too bad after he attacked him though and even carried Leorio to the second stage. He said we passed his test, although I still don’t really know what that meant.” 

“He seems to be incredibly strong. Hunters often go to massive Hunter gatherings in order to assess the power and strength of other individuals. He was probably gauging the potential that each person at the exam had. Hisoka sensed that you and your friends had the potential to become good Hunters, and decided he would not mind you gaining the hunter title. You did mention earlier in the hall that he did not want to kill you because you are not strong enough, correct?”

“Yea. He said something similar when I fought him. He said it would be a shame to kill me now. He fights a lot at Heaven’s arena, he enjoys fighting powerful opponents. He also joined the Phantom Troupe to fight powerful people. Kurapika told me that he only joined because he wants to fight Chrollo.”

“The Phantom Troupe? Damn. They have a reputation for their… acts. Judging by what you’ve told me, he has an incredibly accurate sense of potential and power, which allows him to take on those kinds of challenges. You said you fought him in Heaven’s Arena?” 

“Yea! Killua and I did really well up to floor 200. But Hisoka stopped us before we could sign up for a new fight on the 200th floor. He uses nen to block our pathway. It was a good thing that we met Wing-san before then. We would have had no one to teach us nen and Killua would have lost the ability to compete in Heaven’s Arena. He even spared me during our fight. As much as I hated it, he ended the fight quickly after I landed my punch on him. He just quickly got enough points, so that he would win, instead of killing me. He killed some guy he fought that had a double, and somehow even healed his own arm during the fight! I expected to come out of that match with a lot of injuries, but I was only just beat up a bit.” Kite internally cringed at the thought of Gon fighting such a strong opponent but decided not to comment on it. He knew Gon didn’t like being reminded that he was weaker than others and that he blamed himself for “not being strong enough” even though it really was not his fault. 

“What did you mean earlier? When you said something about tag numbers?” Kite’s mind was spinning with all of this information. ‘It seems Gon had many more experiences than he had expected. No wonder he and Killua were so confident about being pro hunters when we met.’

“Ahhh. That was the exam’s fourth stage! It was basically a really dangerous game of tag. We all had our own tags, and our job was to get our targets’ tag. Our tag and our opponents’ tags were worth three points, while other tags were worth one point! We had to have six points by the end of the game. I had to get tag 44, Hisoka’s tag. I spent a lot of time training with my fishing pole, but eventually, I found a perfect opportunity to get it from him! I got snuck up on though… And I got shot with some sort of tranquilizing dart. Hisoka killed that man though, apparently, he was Hisoka’s target. Hisoka had more than enough points and made me keep his tag, even after I tried to give it back. He said I could only give it back once I could punch him back, and then he punched me in the face!” Gon pouted remembering that interaction with Hisoka. “So that’s why I wanted to fight him in Heaven’s Arena!” 

“Oh, I see.” Kite really did not understand why Gon would go after such an opponent, but after fighting the Chimera Ants it was clear Gon had a bit of a reckless streak. “So he was basically your incentive to get stronger? I guess since he wants strong opponents that makes sense. He kind of trained you indirectly then, didn’t he?” 

It had been a bit of a walk, and the group was now approaching Kite’s team house. The build of the house reminded Gon a bit of the house Kite’s corpse had been in NGL, and the forest was similar to the one he fought Pitou in. A shiver ran down his spine, but having Kite next to him helped push the memories back. As they passed through the gates that enclosed the house and front garden, Gon could see figures coming out of the front door to greet them. He recognized Monta, Stick Dinner, Spinner, Lin, Podungo, Banana and.. 

“KILLUA!” 

* * *

AN: This chapter was mostly filler and setup I guess. Kite was getting a lot of context which gives him the ability to make judgments later. Also recap if you forgot what happened in the series i guess lol. As I said at the beginning thank you all so much for your support ily guys. I don’t know when the next chapter will be out, I could finish it in like 3 days or 2 weeks who knows.


	3. Chapter 3: Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They climb the world tree, Gon learns about his family, and Hisoka stakes a claim~

AN: Ok at the time I am writing this the fic has gotten 242 hits and honestly considering this entire fic is lowkey just a brain dump the support you guys are giving me is insane and ily you all ^-^

On another note, there is going to be a bit of gore in this chapter but I’ve marked it if you’d like to skip it. It's one long ass chapter because I don’t know how to write consistently.

* * *

“KILLUA!” Gon engulfed Killua in a (nearly) bone-crushing hug. 

“H-hey Gon!” Killua said, his voice muffled by Gon’s shirt. Good thing no one could see his blush, right? After the hug had gone on for a _bit_ too long, Alluka shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat. “Oh right! Gon, this is my youngest sister, Alluka.” Gon beamed and shook hands with Alluka. Killua looked around nervously, to make sure they were not being overheard. Kite was catching up with his team and Ging was nowhere to be found (as usual). “Gon, Alluka was the one who healed you. Well, really it was Nanika... it’s complicated. Let me show you. Nanika, can you come out?” Alluka’s facial features morphed until Gon could see three distinct spiraling voids, eyes and a mouth. “Meet Nanika. Her power is to grant wishes. Usually, there are a set of rules to follow with her power but I know how to use her wishes properly. I used a wish to heal you, Gon. You were incurable, the Hunter Association nen exorcist wouldn’t even attempt to remove whatever had consumed you.”

“Thank you Alluka and Nanika!” Gon said, then pulled her into a hug too. Before Gon could apologize for his behavior with Pitou, Hisoka stepped out of the forest and entered the yard. Kite turned and said

“Oh, I almost forgot, Team, this is Hisoka. He’ll be staying with us for a bit. He’s here to help us out a bit.” Killua’s eyes widened in fear. Hisoka’s looked directly at him, and his lips stretched into his trademark maniacal grin.

“Oooh, _you’re_ here too. I’ll have so much fun here. Watching Illumi try to kidnap your sister really was entertaining, you know. His bloodlust has a rather unique taste to it, doesn’t it?~ ♦” Killua stared for a moment, then blinked as his mind unraveled the implicit message and his fear turned into surprise and curiosity. 

“That was you? When Illumi’s bloodlust exploded?” Alluka shivered at the memory of her brothers’ bloodlust oozing and chasing them. Hisoka turned to glance over the amateur hunters before responding,

“Mmmh. I had no idea he would react like that. I only asked if I could kill you~ ♦”, he replied with a leer. Gon snorted from the sidelines. 

“As if you could accidentally enrage a Zoldyck, Hisoka. You did it on purpose to make sure Killua would be able to heal me.” Killua didn’t think Gon would have put the situation together so fast and was mildly impressed by Gon's improvement in naivety. He was still confused at Hisoka’s motives but didn’t want to risk his wrath, especially not with Alluka next to him. Hisoka smirked lightly at Gon’s response but didn’t reply. Kite cleared his throat and ushered the group into the house, closing the door lightly behind him. They separated to put their stuff away in separate rooms and to have some free time.

Kite sat on the floor next to Gon, with Killua, Alluka, and Spinner (who had taken a keen interest in Alluka) on one couch and Ging seated on another. Hisoka stood with his back pressed against the wall, half-hidden in the shadows. Kite closed his eyes as he prepared to explain his hatsu to the crowd. Memories began to flash before his eyes, from living as a sewer rat to his fight with Pitou. 

(AN: THIS IS A FLASHBACK OF KITE’S FIGHT WITH PITOU. IT WILL CONTAIN (MILD) GORE. SKIP TO THE NEXT AN IF YOU WANT) 

Killua had knocked Gon unconscious and ran in the direction they came from. ‘Good judgment, Killua.’ Kite’s brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he tried to ignore the blood rushing out of his shoulder. He twirled the mace in his left hand and tried to expand his en as far as possible. One hit was all he needed to draw another weapon. Kite and Neferpitou danced in the clearing, Kite never quite landing a shot on Pitou, while Pitou managed to give Kite a number of deep scratches. Finally, the mace connected with Pitou and he skirted back, allowing Crazy Slots to reform. 

“In a real pinch, aren’t ya? It’s pretty strong for an insect, isn’t it!” Crazy Slots said.

“Shut up and spin.” 

“BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! FOUR!” Pitou had been staring at Crazy Slots, investigating it. Kite used this to his advantage and fired the carbine right as it fully materialized. His aim was a bit off, but he still managed to nick the ant’s knee. 

“Get lost,” he panted, dashing to the side to avoid an attack. Crazy Slots was summoned again.

“BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! SIX!” 

“Tch. Bad spin.” Crazy Slots shrunk into two metal, six-pointed stars, connected by a light strand of nen. ‘I have to land the hit or I’ll be weaponless. I can’t feel the boys nearby anymore, at least they’re safe.’ Kite scurried around the clearing, avoiding as many of Pitou’s attacks as he could while minimizing the damage he took from any attacks he could not dodge. 

“Nrrow. You’re much stronger than even the squadron leaders.” Kite didn't bother to respond, or rather he couldn’t. He was out of breath and losing blood. With a flick of his wrist, a shuriken embedded itself in Pitou’s left foot. Guided by nen, the other shuriken wrapped and impaled Pitou’s right thigh, narrowly missing his arm. The rest of the fight was hazy. He had called the scythe but it was too slow, only decimating a few animals living in the surrounding forest. At least he was able to recall Crazy Slots. He rolled an eight. Finally, a good roll. The clown transformed into a desert eagle (pistol) with a clown shaped grip. It was already loaded with nen bullets that were nearly indestructible. He didn’t even have to aim, the nen would force the bullets into his opponent even if the opponent moves. Gunshots fired as Kite and Pitou continued to duel, and four nen powered bullets slammed into Pitou’s neck. Unfortunately, this did nothing to stop Pitou’s attack, and Pitou managed to rip a chunk of Kite’s thigh out. Pitou’s neck and face were splattered with blue blood, but Pitou didn’t seem to care and continued to chase after Kite.

“BRRRRRRRR! ONE! Not looking so good there eh?!” A simple katana fell into Kite’s hand, and he parried Pitou’s attacks fairly well, considering he was missing an arm and severely wounded. But he kept going, slashing at Pitou and drawing back as claws grazed much too close to his body. A nine was rolled, and a crossbow materialized. The shot was timed perfectly, but Pitou’s inhuman reflexes allowed him to take nonlethal damage, the nen powered arrow only impaling his arm instead of his stomach. ‘This opponent is _fun_ nrrow. I should keep him as a pet!’ The floor was painted in red and blue blood, and Kite could feel the adrenaline rush beginning to fade. He grits his teeth and ignored the pain from his severed arm and severely wounded leg. Blood flowed from cuts in his arms and torso, but he kept pushing. He had to make sure he bought enough time for Killua to get himself and Gon out of NGL. Another roll. Five. A metal club appeared. At one end was a clown counterweight and at the other a ball with spikes. Kite balanced the club on his left shoulder and continues to skirt around the clearing. He knew he didn’t stand a chance landing a blow on Pitou using the club properly, so he used all his upper body strength to hurl the club at his foe. He wasn’t sure if he landed his mark or not, but tried to recall Crazy Slots. To Kite’s surprise, the clown appeared. He must’ve nicked Pitou with the club. 

“BRRRRRRRRR! SEVEN!” A golden axe appeared, and Kite deftly caught it. ‘Last one.’ “You better use it soon, idiot! I’ve been waiting for this moment my whole life!” Crazy Slots giggled maniacally. 

“Shut up.” was all Kite could respond, before finding himself being chased again. Pitou was on a high, fighting and winning against such a strong opponent. He licked his lips and bounded after Kite. Kite was really dreading trying to land a hit with the axe, until he remembered that it didn’t have to be Pitou that he hit for it to count as using the weapon. He rammed the axe into a nearby rotting log, making sure to kill _something_ living in that log. To his relief, the axe dissolved... 

Kite was in a situation where he really didn’t want to die. He had used Crazy Slots rolls one through nine. And he had no chance of winning. Just above a whisper, Kite said,

“Crazy Slots. Roll.” The clown materialized and seeing Pitou approaching spun as quickly as possible.

“BRRRRR! ZERO!” Just as Pitou’s claws sank deep into Kite’s chest, and Kite barely managed to gargle out 

“Li...Like hell I’m going to die like this!” he coughed up blood, and he could feel every injury he had taken. Time slowed and Kite could feel the rush of his blood in his veins, the ache from his injuries, and his hands getting very very cold. Aura enveloped Kite, and Pitou, who had prepared to pounce, stepped back, curious, watching. The aura burned Kite but he couldn’t care less anymore. The boys were safe. That’s all that mattered. He felt very very very hot, and he was seeing stars. Then nothing. Black. 

“Mrrow. Well, he was fun to play with while he lasted.” Pitou knocked Kite’s lifeless head off its corpse, and kicked it around a bit, before deciding he wanted to play with him some more. 

(AN: SUMMARY: Kite’s Crazy Slots weapons are 0) Like hell I’m going to die like this 1) katana 2) scythe 3) mace 4) carbine 5) club 6) shurikens 7) axe 8) desert eagle (pistol) 9) crossbow. The conditions for Kite using roll zero are a) he has to have used weapons 1-9 b) he has to really want to not die c) plus all the other conditions for individual weapons and their abilities) 

“You all know my hatsu, Crazy Slots.” Kite raised his right hand and summoned Crazy Slots.

“I got a slot machine in my mouth! It goes from one to nine! Each number summons a different weapon. This is my Crazy Slots!” Before it can start rolling, Kite says

“Get lost.” and Crazy Slots disappears in a puff of smoke. Hisoka carefully observed the hatsu from the shadows, being the only one who had never seen it in action. “Before I was Ging’s student, I lived on the streets of a small city. I stole bread and meat from the local shops to feed the local strays. The day I met Ging, I had been on the run after stealing some bread. I found Ging in my little base, and he’d already made friends with my animals. He told me that I’d been using nen, although I had only really developed my ten and a little bit of ren. I practically had to force him to take me with him…” Kite wore a small smile on his face at the silly memories of his youth, but a sadness lingered in his eyes. “Eventually he taught me the four principles and I took the Hunter Exam. I had to beg him to teach me hatsu, he only agreed after I was able to hold ren for eight hours, use en and in simultaneously and consistently at 13 meters, and last for six hours in a hand-to-hand match against a nen user using only the four basic principles.” Killua’s eyes were wide in awe. He had known Kite was much stronger than himself and Gon, but ren for EIGHT hours? He and Gon had struggled to hold three hours when training with Bisky! Killua wasn’t the only one who took note of Kite’s impressive feats. Hisoka’s eyebrows raised ever so slightly, indicating his interest in Kite’s power. 

“He was awful, you know. He begged me every other day to teach him hatsu, even after I made the terms clear. What an annoying student.” Ging said, face neutral but eyes sparkling with amusement. Kite rolled his eyes and ignored his mentor, continuing with his story.

“At that time, the only real goal I had was to not die. When Ging finally let me take the water divination test, the only real motivation I had for my hatsu was to create something that would let me not die. So one solution was having an assortment of weapons at all times, hence the nine different weapons that can be rolled with my crazy slots. But there’s one last number that only gets rolled under the circumstance that I have to have used all of the weapons one through nine and I have to really not want to die in a situation. The weapons themselves already have their own restrictions, which means this roll is only possible under extreme circumstances. I made roll zero. Unlike the other numbers it’s not a weapon, but an ability. Since Ging told me not to name it “Like Hell I’m Going to Die Like This”, that’s exactly what I named it.” Ging rolled his eyes at this but didn’t bother to comment. They’d already argued over it too many times to count. “My aura diminishes and my soul is transferred to a nearby fetus. As I grow, Crazy Slots slowly returns my memories to me. Since I got reborn as a chimera ant, my growth was rather quick, so I was able to regain all my memories pretty quickly.” The amateur hunter team looks fascinated, but Killua Gon and Hisoka are all beyond impressed. The amount of planning and power Kite had to have even come up with such a thing was already remarkable, but successfully pulling it off in such a perilous situation was monumental. The group continued to talk a bit about their time in NGL but soon dispersed, leaving Kite and Gon alone together by the fireplace. The realization hit Gon like a truck. The amount of time Kite had to survive against Pitou in order to use his ability, the difficulty of the duel while already injured. Kite noticed Gon shaking and pulled him in. Kite sat with his legs spread out and allowed Gon to crawl closer to him, turning Gon so his back was to his chest. He rested his chin on Gon’s spiky hair, wrapped one arm securely around the boy’s torso, and rubbed soothing circles on a shoulder with his other hand. 

“Hey, you’re alright. I’m ok, remember?” Gon didn’t respond but slowly relaxed in Kite’s arms. Kite was the closest thing he had to a father since he hadn’t ever interacted with Ging. The thought of Kite dead left a bitter taste in his mouth, especially the thought of Kite’s death being his fault. “It’s ok, Gon. The pair spent a few hours just enjoying the others’ comfort, which annoyed Hisoka a lot. ‘MY prey. No one else is allowed to touch him. He’s MINE!’ Unfortunately for Hisoka, Kite was much much stronger than him, especially since he was reborn as a Chimera Ant. ‘I’ll leave them alone… for now. I can’t wait until he’s all mine. ❤’ Hisoka’s lips stretched into a predatory grin, and his tongue flicked along his upper lip, his eyes gleaming in anticipation. 

A few days later, they woke up to find Ging missing and a note left on the table.

_I’m waiting at the top of the tallest tree. Catch me if you can._

Gon was a bit miffed that Ging had to continue playing this game of cat and mouse with him, but after 14 years of having to chase him down, he shouldn’t have expected Ging to let him win this easily. Gon, Killua, Alluka, Kite, and Hisoka all spent the rest of the day preparing for the journey, gathering clothes and toiletries for a trip that could last weeks. The amateur hunters used the computer to help find the world’s tallest tree and book tickets for their trip. The group arrived in the city the next morning, a bit sleepy but ready for adventure. The tree towered over everything within sight, including skyscrapers and condos. It was taller than anything the group had ever seen before, including the Hunter Association building and Heaven’s Arena. They passed through the checkpoint and paid the fee, where the worker gave them a tip.

“Don’t bother with any of the handholds you see there. All of the people who have climbed to the top have done it barehanded. There’s a guy up there who did it barehanded a couple of hours ago.” 

“Thanks, sir!” Gon said, before bouncing and immediately jumping several feet up onto the tree. ‘That kid has so much energy… I guess it’s better than being depressed all the time,’ Kite mused. 

“Hey, Killua, I can take Alluka up to the top of the tree with me. Overprotective Killua didn’t look convinced.

“How can you climb the tree while carrying Alluka?” 

“I’m part possum now. That’s what the tail’s from. Plus mixed with my chimera ant royalty genetics, I’m pretty much indestructible and nearly as powerful as the king was. We haven’t really tested my power, but Morel and Knov said my aura surpassed that of the royal guards.” Killua’s eyes widened as he recalled how weak they were against Youpi. 

“Brother, let me go with Kite. I trust him! Plus, carrying me up this tall tree would really tire you out!” That was true, while he had grown up doing much more advanced things, the tree _is_ impossibly large. Kite scooped Alluka up, allowing Alluka to piggyback ride on him, making sure his legs were wrapped around his torso and his arms were secure around his neck. Kite jumped and easily scaled the tree, disappearing from Killua’s eyesight within seconds. Hisoka had his hand over his eyes, squinting to see the top of the tree. Before Killua could say anything, he too leaped onto the tree, attached bungee gum onto the lowest branch, and simply hauled himself up the tree. Killua used his nen to boost his jump, and quickly scaled the tree, catching up to Gon in only a few minutes. 

“Yo. You made it.” Kite signed internally, grateful that Ging was still there.

“Of course we made it. The boys are tougher than you give them credit for.” Kite said as he let Alluka down. Alluka peered over the edge of the platform, eyes wide at the landscape beneath her. Kite wrapped his arms around Ging, nose buried in the older man’s hair. A rustling from the opposite side of the tree caused them to break apart hastily, and they watched as the magician somersault himself onto the platform, landing gently on his feet despite having propelled himself at a high speed. Hisoka brushed the imaginary dust off, and was going to sit on the edge of the platform to watch Gon’s progress, but was interrupted by Kite. “Hmmm, that reminds me, Hisoka, what did you mean when Gon said you weren’t going to kill him yet?” Hisoka looks at the ant, contemplating his answer. ‘What should I tell them? The truth? He could probably launch me off the platform if my answer angers him. Plus if they asked Gon and Killua, they’d be able to tell if my response was true or not. The truth it is.’ 

“You see, Gon passed my little exam during the first stage of the Hunter Exam. Gon is _my_ little unripe fruit~ ❤” Hisoka paused (for dramatic effect, of course), and Kite and Ging glanced at each other, noting the sudden possessive undertones in Hisoka’s voice. “As I told Gon in the fourth stage of the Hunter Exam, I will continue to let him live, until he’s grown enough to be worth killing.~ ♦” 

“Worth killing?” Ging asked, now curious about Hisoka’s true motives. Hisoka’s golden eyes gleamed.

“Mmm, he has so much potential. He learned Ten within two hours of learning about nen for the first time.” He nearly purred remembering how it felt watching his fruit ripen before his eyes. “It would be a waste to kill him now, especially since he wouldn’t even put up a good fight without his nen.~ ♠” Kite knew the boys learned fast but learning ten in two hours was impressive, especially at that age. Before Kite could ask more about Gon’s progress, the boys had scrambled onto the platform. Gon looked around, eyes brightening at Ging’s figure.

“Ging! You’re here!” Ging rolled his eyes at the energetic boy, and Kite shot him a glare. 

“Yes, of course, I’m here. I’m a man of my word, aren’t I?” Killua rushed to Alluka’s side, moving her as far away from the magician as possible. As Killua and Alluka marveled at the sight below them, Kite and Ging moved Gon to the opposite side of the tree. Hisoka pretended to examine the baby birds in the nest, but his ears were carefully listening to the conversations around him. 

“Gon,” Kite said gently, “We’d like to talk to you privately about something.” Seeing Kite and Ging’s serious faces, Gon figured it must be important. He sat on the edge of the platform, with Kite to his left and Ging to his right. Kite sighed before opening his mouth, only to hesitate as fears and insecurities plagued his mind. Seeing Kite’s doubt, Ging took over.

“Hey Kid, what did Mito tell you about your parents?” 

“Uhmmm. When I was really young she told me that my parents both died in a car crash. After Kite saved me from that foxbear and taught me about you, I asked her again about it. Great-Grandma told me a few stories about when you and Mito-san were little. She told me that my mother had died, but I didn’t believe it after I learned that you were still alive though.” Kite’s muscles tensed and his hands clenched, leaving deep nail marks in his palms. Gon frowned and thought for a moment, before quietly adding “Mito-san always wanted to seem like my only parent, but I always believed that my mother was still alive somewhere. I don’t know if that would be better though, knowing that my parents didn’t want to take care of me.” Ging shifted uncomfortably, ‘Man, am I bad at this emotional stuff’. 

“Gon, about your mother.” Ging stopped to think for a moment, realizing his son was just as rash as he was. “Before you do anything stupid, your mother is still alive, I promise you. But you have to listen to the whole story.” Gon’s eyes met Ging’s and the determination and seriousness in Ging’s eyes made Gon curious. ‘What could be more important than the fact that she’s still alive? I’ll find her one day!’ Ging took Gon’s silence as permission to continue. “I met your mother a long time ago when I was still a teen myself. I later found out that your mother was trans, he was born in a female body but identified as male. He had begged me to teach him to be a better fighter, and I refused. But he wouldn’t leave me alone.” At this point, Kite was sure Gon will have figured it out, but Gon simply stared at Ging with curious eyes. “I eventually agreed, and our bond grew stronger. After he passed the Hunter Exam, I asked him to marry me. He used the money he got from doing jobs as a Hunter to get hormone replacement therapy, and eventually got top surgery. We got married soon after, and then we found out he was pregnant. But since he had top surgery he couldn’t breastfeed you. We had to ask Mito to breastfeed you. (AN: I don’t know anything behind adoptive breastfeeding so uh yeah this is super vague) We got called on an assignment, but we were stranded on the island we were exploring. We didn’t get back until four months after we were supposed to, and we found out Mito had filed for custody of you. By then it was too late.” 

“But he’s still alive, right! I can find him even if he’s hiding away!” Ging raised a palm to rub his forehead and wondered how anyone could be this stupid.

“Gon. You’ve already him.” 

“EHHHH? WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” 

“Gon. I’ve only taught one person ever”, Ging deadpanned, partially amused and partially frustrated at his son’s idiocy. ‘He’s a hunter… Who are all the hunters I’ve met? And he has to be old…? And he has to have been taught by Gi-’ Realization hit Gon like a truck. ‘How could I have been so stupid?!’ Gon turned to his left, to find Kite watching him intensely. 

“Kite?! You’re- you’re really my mom?” Kite studied the boy’s face. Only wonder, curiosity, and hope. There were no traces of the hate or anger he feared. How can a boy be so innocent and all-loving? Kite’s soft purple eyes watered a bit, and his lips curved up into a small smile.

“Yea, I am. I wanted to tell you so badly when you found me in Kakin. But it would have been cruel of me to hit you with something like that before you had even met Ging.” Gon launched himself into Kite’s arms, resting his head on his chest, letting the beating of his heart calm him. Kite allowed the feeling of his child in his arms to wash away the what if’s of their time in NGL and pushed away the insecurities he had about being a bad parent.

“...Can I call you mom?” Warmth spread throughout Kite’s body, the acceptance from his only son reminding him of how much he missed him.

“Of course. I will always be your mother, Gon.” 

The group admired the sunset together, watching as the last rays of the sun cast the city in oranges and purples. All but Hisoka, that was. His mind was still reeling from the information that had been revealed to him earlier. ‘It’s good that Kite is his mother because that means we don’t have to compete for the same type of affections. But he’ll be even more protective of Gon now. I need to stake my claim on him somehow~ ♠’

As they headed through the city back to the train station, Gon, Killua, and Alluka often got distracted at all of the new sights and stores they were passing. Amused, Ging let them stop at a gift shop. While Killua was very enthusiastically explaining different trinkets to Alluka in the storefront, Gon found himself cornered in the back of the store.

“Ah, Hisoka! What are you doing here? Is there something you want?” 

“Want?” Hisoka purred, “Mmmmm. Yes Gon, I want _you._ ❤” Before Gon can react, Hisoka grabbed Gon’s jacket and pulled Gon towards him. Gentler than Gon could have ever imagined Hisoka being, Hisoka’s hand reached out to caress his face, thumb carefully stroking the boy’s cheek, then pulled him in and kissed him. On the lips. Then, as if nothing happened, Hisoka released him and left the shop, leaving Gon confused and flustered. 

As the group approached the train station, Gon and Killua decided they wanted to visit Heaven’s Arena to see Zushi and Wing-san. Hisoka says he’ll be there, before taking off into the night, moving silently and swiftly. Kite, Ging, Gon, Killua, and Alluka are left waiting for their train to take them to their next destination. 

* * *

AN: Ok I cannot write endings to save my life lol. This chapter was a lot beefier than I expected it to be (mostly because my planning skills are nonexistent oops), but I hope you guys enjoyed it! Again, tysm for all the support I really love u guys 


	4. Chapter 4: Gon's Dilemmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gon is confused boio but we love him anyways. Kite's an actual parent since Ging sucks, and Nanika's introduced!

AN: i am bad at writing angst lol also Ging really is a shitty parent. Also 40+ kudos i love you guys thanks for the support i really appreciate all of you <3

* * *

Gon sits up in the crow’s nest of the ship, letting the salty sea wind ruffle his hair. He sees nothing but the ocean in every direction just like when he lived on Whale Island. On the outside, he is calm and composed, but his mind is racing and his heart is pounding. ‘I can’t believe it! Killua kissed me and said he liked me! I really like him too! But… why can’t I forget about what Hisoka did in the store? It was so weird, he’s normally so distant and fierce like the way he was in Heaven’s Arena, but this time he was so… gentle, and soft. Why did he change? And what did he mean when he said he wanted me? I know he wants to defeat me in battle one day, but wha-’  
“GOOOON!” Killua’s shout broke Gon out of his thoughts. “COME DOWN!! IT’S TIME TO TELL GING AND KITE!!!” Gon climbed down the mast nimbly, landing on the deck on his feet like a cat. Running into the cabin he’s met by Ging Kite and Killua sitting in a circle, with Alluka in Killua’s lap. Kite scoots over to give Gon space to sit in their circle and smiles at Gon when he sits close enough to lean into Kite’s side.

  
“So what have you kids dragged us here for?” Ging asks, a tad impatiently.

  
“It’s easier for us to just show you. Hey Nanika, can you come out for a bit? I’d like to introduce you to some friends.” Ging and Kite watched in fascination as Alluka’s features transformed into those of Nanika’s. “We’re not sure what Nanika is, but she doesn’t seem to be something from The Outside or an ability. She has the ability to grant wishes, that’s how I saved Gon. There are rules to her ability but we can talk about that later.”

  
“The Outside?” Kite and Gon ask simultaneously, then look at each other amused.

  
“The Outside. It’s the world outside of what we know it as. The world doesn’t end at where our map does, our map is probably only a really small portion of the world. There’s all sorts of stuff we don’t know about the outside, and it’s really difficult to get permission to go to the outside. I believe Chairman Netero went to the Outside once, in his prime. Zigg Zoldyck went with Netero I think, and Don Freecs is the author of the “East” journal about the Dark Continent. The West journal was never found, so he either died or is still exploring now, 300 years later.”

  
“You want to go to the Dark Continent, don’t you Ging?” Kite asked.

  
“Of course. You’d want to come too, Mr. Biologist. Imagine all the unknown species out there waiting to be discovered. Then again, maybe not. I’m pretty sure those ants you ran into originate from the Outside. Nothing else in our little map even remotely compares to them, evolution through phagogenesis, and the ability to gain and use nen.” Ging’s train of thought is cut off when Alluka interrupts,

  
“Brother! I want to learn nen! Why won't you let me learn nen?!”

  
“Alluka we don’t know how nen might affect yourself and Nanika. We know Nanika can use some sort of power that fuels her wish giving but we don’t know what kind of power it is. For all we know, Nanika is a god sharing a mind, body, and soul with you. Plus, you have me right!” Alluka pouts and gives Killua her best puppy dog eyes, but Killua instead changed the topic by threatening Alluka with a tickle war. The pair ran off giggling, followed by Ging grumbling about too much excitement. ‘That kid’s got some good decision-making skills. Must be from being raised as an assassin. Thank God Gon found him, or else Gon would probably be dead several times over by now. It’ll be nice having someone sensible around for once, Gon and Ging are too similar in that regard’ Kite mused, watching the white-haired boy and his sister.

The boat was well on its way to the Republic of Padokea when dark grey clouds covered the sky. Angry waves rocked the ship and tossed its passengers from one side of the room to the other, and heavy raindrops beat on the walls of the ship. Killua was holding Alluka, trying to keep her steady on the cabin floor. The intense assassin training he had as a child covered seasickness training, but since Alluka didn’t grow up with the same training the waves nauseated her. Ging was fast asleep in a hammock, the book he was reading forgotten on his chest. Kite had been reading too, but soon got distracted watching the spiky-haired boy next to him, staring out the window. ‘He’s been so quiet and pensive lately. I wonder what’s gotten into him. He’s actually… thinking. For once. I wonder what could possibly make that boy think.’

  
“Kite?” Kite started, thinking Gon had caught him staring, but the boy was still watching the raindrops slide down the glass panes.

  
“Yea?”

“Is it… Is it possible to like multiple people?”

“Like? You mean in a romantic way?” Gon nodded, and Kite put his book in his lap. ‘Man, I swear everything that comes out of this kid’s mouth is the last thing I could possibly expect.’ Kite folded his hands and closed his eyes for a few moments to think. “Well, I think there’s no limit on the number of people you can have romantic feelings for. For example, there are people who are polyamorous, who have relationships with multiple people. But oftentimes people have much stronger feelings for one person over others.”

“I feel like I like them differently though. Like… I dunno, I consider one of them a friend but the other is.. Not a rival but like.. We’re not close but the attraction is still there? I guess?”

“I might be able to give better advice if you elaborate more, Gon” Kite responded gently, as to not scare him, as this was the first time Gon had actually approached him for something.

“Uhh well.. I guess it’s kind of obvious but the one who’s a friend is Killua. And uh.. The other one is..” Gon paused, in part because of embarrassment and in part to reflect and decide if he really wanted to continue the conversation. Blushing, he finished his sentence. “Hisoka.” Kite blinked, then smiled, clearly holding back laughter.

“That’s what’s made you quiet? Oh, the irony. Just like your father. The only thing that could shut him up was him not understanding his own emotions.” Curiosity filled Gon’s eyes, and he absorbed all and any information about Ging like a sponge. “Anyways, I’m not sure I’ll be able to give you any useful advice. I’ve never really seen or thought about conflicts with such different people. I don’t really know Hisoka or Killua well enough to compare compatibility.”

“Hmm. Well, Killua is.. He’s kind and very protective of those he cares about. Like me and Alluka. And he’s done a lot for me, like coming to Kakin with you, and rescuing me after I was in the hospital. But he’s also kind of distant, you know? I don’t really know anything about his family other than they’re all assassins. He doesn’t talk about himself much, but he’s been a loyal and good friend.”

“What about Hisoka?”

  
“He’s just Hisoka. Not that much to him, I guess. He’s incredibly strong and likes fighting. He’s rather impulsive, but he also knows how to wait for what he wants. He’s also really really smart. He fought this man Kastro in Heaven’s Arena. Kastro had a nen double. He somehow figured out Kastro’s ability while fighting him and managed to find a way around it, when even tons of other skilled fighters and Killua who grew up with assassin training couldn’t figure out Kastro’s ability. He’s kind of creepy too though. Like he just shows up when you’re not expecting him. First was in Heaven’s Arena, when he showed up to stop us from signing up for a fight without having learned about nen. I guess that could have been for his own selfish motive though since he wanted to fight me and didn’t want me to be immediately killed by other nen users. And then in Greed Island. Although I guess we were the ones who walked in on him.. But he also lied about not knowing about spell cards for no reason.. I really don’t get him sometimes. He’s always been there to keep an eye on me though.”

  
“Sounds like you like him because he keeps you on your toes,” Kite mused.

  
“A bit. But he’s also been, well, nice I guess. Like he has a reputation of being a murderer but from what I’ve seen he only kills if you get in the way of his goals or if you’re like, fighting in Heaven’s Arena. In Yorknew, he helped us by giving us information on the Phantom Troupe and Kurapika told me he manipulated them into staying in Yorknew so we could get the scarlet eyes back.”

  
“Wait, the scarlet eyes?”

  
“Oh yea, I forgot to mention, Kurapika is the last remaining of the Kurta Clan. It was the Phantom Troupe who massacred the clan, so now Kurapika is looking to get his brethren’s eyes back and get revenge.”

  
“Kurta clan eh? And a Zoldyck. You’ve made some incredibly powerful friends. Well anyways, I think you should wait and see who you like more in a romantic way. Sometimes some people are better off as just friends even though you might have some romantic attraction, and other times you may not be close but you have a stronger bond than with someone you’re closer to. It’s all rather complicated, and it depends on the situation.” Kite’s tail twitching in indecision caught Gon’s eye, and Gon didn’t hear the rest of Kite’s advice.

It was a snap back to reality for Gon. It made him remember that there were things other than Hisoka and Killua in his life. There was so much to do now. Check up on the people he met on Greed Island, Goreinu, Tsezguerra, Ging’s friends. And all of the people who showed up to help when he was hospitalized, Hanzo, Bisky, Ikalgo, Meleoron, Kurapika’s friend Melody… there were so many of them. Plus his comrades from NGL, Knuckle, Palm, Morel, Knov.. all of the people he stood with against the royal guard. And of course, Kurapika and Leorio. He’d kind of cut his time short with Leorio after meeting Ging. And Kurapika.. It’s been years now since their time together in Yorknew. And what to do now? Being nen-less basically made it impossible to do any normal Hunter jobs. And it also made it impossible to do what he failed to do the first time, protect Kite.

“Gon?”

“Huh?”

  
“You totally spaced out. Are you tired? You should get some sleep, it’s quite late.”

  
“No, I uh, I was just thinking.” Kite wanted to ask Gon what he had been thinking about but didn’t want to invade the boy’s privacy. Gon never came to him for this kind of stuff, so he wanted to make sure Gon knew that he would never pry into his private life. Especially knowing he had been raised by Mito. Mito honest and hard-working, but was the type to pry into others’ private lives. Ever since losing his son to her in a custody battle, he held a grudge against her and often focused on her worst traits. Never in front of Gon though, Ging and Kite were very careful about that. “Can I touch it?” Thinking he had missed something Gon had said, he didn't want to give a decisive yes or no in case it led to an awkward situation.

  
“Er-”

  
“Your tail. Can I touch it?” Gon clarified.

  
“Oh, sure.” Kite turned a bit so his back (and tail) were facing Gon, allowing him full access to the appendage. Gon carefully wrapped his hands around it, noting it was like a rat’s tail, but much larger in proportion to Kite’s size (AN: get your heads out the gutter smh).

  
“Can you control it?”

  
“Yea, a bit. I can’t do anything crazy with it, and it’s mostly unconscious movement. Especially since I don’t really need a tail like an opossum would, it’s just there mostly. It was handy when climbing that World Tree though. It’s basically just another arm for stabilization. I could probably carry something with it too, but considering I don't walk around on four legs it would be an awkward weight balance.” Kite had studied all sorts of animals previously due to his fascination with animals and biology, but literally becoming a hybrid forced him to do much more detailed research into possums.

  
“I know you keep insisting what happened with the ants wasn’t my fault but every time I see something that changed because of it I feel like it’s my fault.”

  
“Hmm.. I feel like you have something like survivor’s guilt. You came out of the situation seemingly unscathed, while people like myself, Chairman Netero, and Palm are very obviously changed from it. I think on the inside though, we are all deeply affected by that. It was something that no one has ever come across, and we were just unlucky to be the ones to discover it first. I wouldn’t have considered going myself if I had known anything remotely like that was waiting for us.”

  
“But I was the one who was so insistent on coming with you, and I was the one who tried to confront Pitou even though it was obvious that we were beyond underpowered to take him on.”

  
“I wouldn’t have brought you if I thought you were incompetent. True, you were still learning and developing your nen, and you were extremely under-experienced in terms of actual fighting and making judgments during fights. But you’re still a quick thinker and adapt ridiculously quickly to situations. Like when I had you and Killua fight Rammot on your own. You realized how powerful he was, and switched from brute force to strategic attacks. You even managed to synchronize your attacks with Killua’s, although I’m not sure how much of that was on you guys and how much was luck.” Gon relaxed somewhat, letting Kite’s words reassure him that he was not the cause of this whole mess. “Plus, you weren’t the only one who made mistakes in NGL. Remember that note we got? We lost Hunters before we had even pinpointed the nest location. And even when we sent in Chairman Netero and the others, we still struggled and probably would have lost without Chairman Netero or the rose bomb. Everyone that went into NGL after we did, the Chairman, Palm, Knov, Morel, everyone else, they were all prepared to sacrifice themselves to beat the ants. And I was more than prepared to sacrifice myself so that you and Killua could get out. To you, I was just your father’s disciple, maybe even a mentor. But for me, it was a matter of protecting my only son. I would have sacrificed myself even if I was unable to use crazy slots to cheat death.”

Being called “son” made Gon feel mushy inside. It was something he had always dreamed of when he was younger. Finally meeting Ging made him realize that he was in no way affectionate and truly didn’t care much about his existence. But now, he had a mother too, and one that could care about him in ways that Mito never could. Sometimes workers on Whale Island called him son, out of habit or affection, but he had always craved the parental affection he never had.

Kite could barely see the water on the window anymore, it was nearly pitch black outside, and most of the lamps in the cabin had been turned off. “It’s gotten late, Gon. Why don’t we catch some sleep, and hopefully the storm will be over when we wake.” Gon agreed and fetched two blankets from the pile on the floor. Kite sat with his back against the cabin wall, and Gon laid his head in Kite’s lap. The last thing Gon remembered before sleep claimed him were Kite’s fingers softly stroking his cheek.

* * *

AN: this is the unfortunate brainchild of finals week and holidays all rolled into one. I was super picky with the emotion in this so I ended up spending more time on the chapter than I expected to but oh well that’s writing for ya (also sorry for posting this at 1am PST but my sleep schedule is a bit screwed lol)


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